I nearly burst out laughing.

When giving gifts, people would usually say, "I apologize if it's a small gift." This was the first time I heard someone say, "I apologize if it's too much."

Then, I heard Celia speak up. "Grandma, this is my boyfriend, Aidan Vega. He's the youngest son of the Vega family—the one from Ace Group."

"Oh my! The heir to Ace Group! Our family shares a deep connection to yours. What a perfect match! Come. I have a gift for you, too."

"Thank you, Mrs. Morgan Senior," Aidan replied politely.

Compared to Pablo, it was clear that Lexie preferred Aidan. Not only did she avoid teasing him, but she also treated him with utmost courtesy and even showered him with praise.

"Celia, you're amazing to have found such an outstanding boyfriend. As expected of my granddaughter."

At this point, a mature woman's voice chimed in. "Mom, you've got to stop praising her. She's been getting really full of herself lately, and I can't even rein her in anymore. If you keep this up, she'll become arrogant!"

Although her words sounded like she was scolding, her tone was dripping with pride.

Celia laughed along. "Mom, why are you trying to make Grandma treat me poorly? Aidan is fantastic! He's rich, and he treats me well. Meeting him was the happiest moment of my life!"

"Celia, what are you saying? Isn't it normal for me to treat you well?"

After a round of polite flattery between them, Lexie suddenly asked, "Where's Crystal? Why hasn't she arrived yet?"

I glanced at Crystal and saw her frowning, her expression tense. She seemed too preoccupied even to notice me.

At that moment, Emma's voice came through the speaker. "Crystal's on her way. There's some traffic, and she had to pick up her boyfriend first, so she's running slightly late."

"What? Crystal has a boyfriend now?" Lexie's tone was filled with excitement and anticipation.

"This young lady has finally come around. I used to tell her to find a boyfriend, and she'd always get upset as if I was out to harm her. I wonder which prominent family this young man belongs to. I simply can't wait to meet the person I've been looking forward to the most!"

"Quick, Wesley! Prepare a big gift! Crystal's first boyfriend deserves the biggest one!"

I took a deep breath and shook my head.

Even if she planned to give me something big, she didn't need to make such a grand announcement. By announcing it in front of everyone like that, wasn't she trying to embarrass the others?

I hadn't even arrived yet, and she had already set me up as the target of everyone's envy. How could this not spell trouble?

As expected, the lively chatter from earlier suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Although I couldn't see their faces, I could sense their displeasure.

It wasn't until a long while later that Anna's voice broke the silence. "Crystal really has a boyfriend? I find that hard to believe. Not long ago, she told me that there wasn't a single man in the world who could catch her eye. And now, just like that, she's in a relationship? She's not the type to fall for someone so easily."

"Who knows? I had dinner with her two weeks ago, and she was still single then."

"She was single two weeks ago? So, her boyfriend has been around for less than two weeks? Now I'm really curious. What kind of man managed to win her over her so quickly?"

I sighed deeply.

The pressure was immense.

With jealousy maxed out and expectations through the roof, even the most revered celebrity would be scrutinized to no end in this situation. And then there was me—a man who didn't even get the dress code right.

As I was brooding over all this, the car slowly pulled into the driveway of a villa. Crystal unbuckled her seatbelt, turned to me, and said, "We're here."

"Alright."

"William, don't be nervous. Just greet Grandma, and I'll handle the rest."